Cairo, Egypt | Article about Cairo, Egypt by The Free Dictionary Cairo, Egypt | Article about Cairo, Egypt by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Dictionary , Thesaurus , Wikipedia . Cairo (kī`rō), Arab. Al Qahirah, city (1996 pop. 6,789,479), capital of Egypt and the Cairo governorate, NE Egypt, a port on the Nile River near the head of its delta, at the boundary of ancient Upper and Lower Egypt. The city includes two islands in the Nile, Zamalik (Gezira) and Roda (Rawdah), which are linked to the mainland by bridges. Cairo is the largest city in the Middle East and in Africa. It is Egypt's administrative center and, along with Alexandria Alexandria, Arabic Al Iskandariyah, city (1996 pop. 3,328,196), N Egypt, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is at the western extremity of the Nile River delta, situated on a narrow isthmus between the sea and Lake Mareotis (Maryut). ..... Click the link for more information. , the heart of its economy.

Cairo's manufactures include textiles, food and tobacco products, chemicals, plastics, metals, and automobiles. Tourism is central to the local economy. The first railroad in Africa (built 1855) linked Cairo with Alexandria, and today Cairo has extensive rail facilities and is also a road and air hub. Points of Interest Much of Cairo is modern, with wide streets. Its famed mosques, palaces, and city gates are found mostly in the older sections. The mosques of Amur (7th cent.), Ibn Tulun (876–79), Hasan (c.1356), and Qait Bay (1475) are especially noted for their bold design. Khedive Ismail's palace on Zamalik island is a notable 19th-century structure. The Mosque of Al Azhar (970) and adjoining buildings house Al Azhar Univ., considered the world's leading center of Qur'anic studies. Cairo also is the center of Coptic Christianity. The city is the seat of the American Univ. in Cairo, Cairo Polytechnic Institute, the Higher Institute of Finance and Commerce, the College of Fine Arts, and the Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts. The Univ.

of Cairo is nearby, in Giza. Among Cairo's many museums, the Egyptian National Museum is especially noted for its holdings of ancient Egyptian art. The museum is on Tahrir (Liberation) Square, which was the site in 2011 of massive demonstrations against President Mubarak. The Nilometer, a graduated column dating from 716 and used to measure the river's water level, is on Roda island, where tradition says the infant Moses was found in the bulrushes. History Almost directly across the Nile from Cairo was Memphis Memphis , ancient city of Egypt, capital of the Old Kingdom (c.3100–c.2258 B.C.), at the apex of the Nile delta and 12 mi (18 km) from Cairo. It was reputedly founded by Menes, the first king of united Egypt. Its god was Ptah. ..... Click the link for more information. , an ancient Egyptian capital. Babylon, a Roman fortress city, occupied what is now a SE section called Old Cairo.

Cairo itself was founded in 969 by the Fatimid general Jauhar Al Rumi to replace nearby Al Qatai (established in the 9th cent. by an Abbasid governor of Egypt) as the capital of Egypt. In the 12th cent. Saladin Saladin , Arabic Salah ad-Din, 1137?–1193, Muslim warrior and Ayyubid sultan of Egypt, the great opponent of the Crusaders, b. Mesopotamia, of Kurdish descent. ..... Click the link for more information. ended Fatimid rule and established the Ayyubite dynasty (1171–1250). To defend the city against Crusaders, Saladin erected (c.1179) the citadel, which still stands, and extended the walls of the city, parts of which remain. Cairo prospered under the rule of the Mamluks, who added many buildings of artistic merit, but the city declined after it was conquered (1517) by the Ottoman Empire.

At the time of its capture (1798) by Napoleon Bonaparte's forces, the city had about 250,000 inhabitants. British and Turkish forces ousted the French in 1801, and Cairo was returned to Ottoman control. Under Muhammad Ali (ruled 1805–49), it became the capital of a virtually independent country and grew in commercial importance; many Europeans settled in the city. During World War II, Cairo was the Allied headquarters and supply center for the Middle East and the site (1943) of the Cairo Conference Cairo Conference, Nov. 22–26, 1943, World War II meeting of U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek of China at Cairo, Egypt. ..... Click the link for more information. . The Arab League Arab League, popular name for the League of Arab States, formed in 1945 in an attempt to give political expression to the Arab nations. The original charter members were Egypt, Iraq, Jordan (then known as Transjordan), Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. ..... Click the link for more information.

is headquartered in Cairo. In the late 20th cent. the city has been plagued by poverty and overcrowding, which has forced many Cairenes to settle in the City of the Dead, a vast expanse of cemeteries to the S and E; the area is not administered or serviced by the city. Bibliography See M. Rodenbeck, Cairo: The City Victorious (1998); N. Alsayyad, Cairo: Histories of a City (2011); D. Sims, Understanding Cairo (2011). Cairo (kā`rō, kâ`rō), city (1990 pop. 4,846), seat of Alexander co., extreme S Ill., on a levee-protected tongue of land adjacent to the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers (spanned by several bridges); inc. 1857. It is a center for shipping by river, rail, and highway and the processing and distribution point for a fertile farm area. Cotton and grain are grown, and manufactures include polyurethene, lumber, and cleaning products.

The city and its environs are popularly called "Little Egypt" because of the deltalike geographical similarity. Permanent settlement began in 1837. In the Civil War the strategic location was a crowded military camp, a Union supply depot, and General Grant's headquarters during much of his Western campaign. Fort Defiance State Park, the site of a Civil War fort, offers a magnificent view of the convergence of the Ohio and Mississippi. Cairo capital of the Arab Republic of Egypt (ARE). The most important political, economic and cultural center of the country. It is situated to the south of the Nile Delta, primarily on the right bank of the Nile and on the islands of Zamalik (Gezira) and Roda. It has a tropical climate. The average temperature in January is 12°C and in July, 27°C. Annual precipitation totals approximately 34 mm. During April and May there is a hot dry wind called the khamsin. Cairo has airports, is a major junction of international communications and is the center of highway, railway, and river transport in the ARE.

It is the largest city in Africa, with more than 5 million inhabitants (1970, estimate; 678, 000 in 1907; 1.1 million in 1927; 2.1 million in 1947; 3.3 million in 1960). It accounts for about 15 percent of the ARE’s population and about 34 percent of its urban population. Administration. In administrative and territorial respects, Cairo is equivalent to a governorate (muhafaza). The city administration is headed by a governor appointed by the president of the ARE and by the People’s Council (59 members) made up of members of the municipal committee of the Arab Socialist Union (ASU) and of representatives from the district organizations of the ASU and from women’s and youth organizations. There is also the Executive Committee appointed by the prime minister from among representatives of the ministries of education, finance, internal affairs, health, and others. Branch agencies of the municipal administration (departments) handle diverse economic, social, and cultural problems, maintain law and order, see to civil defense, and so on. History.

Cairo was founded in 969 by the Fatimid military leader Jawhar (Goher) al-Sakali in the vicinity where the fortress of Babylon stood in antiquity, approximately 30 km from the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis. Jawhar called the city Misr al-Qahira, which means “Egypt the Victorious”; hence, the Arabic name of Cairo, al-Qahira. Gradually Cairo absorbed other fortress-cities built earlier in the same region by the Arabs, including Fustat, which under the Umayyads was the administrative center of Egypt, and Katai, built at the end of the ninth century under the Tulunids. From 973 to 1171, Cairo was the capital of the caliphate of the Fatimids. Under the Ayyubids (1171-1250) and the Mamelukes (1250-1517), it was a major commercial and artisan center. In 1517 it was seized by the Ottoman Turks, who plundered and destroyed the city. During the Egyptian Expedition of 1798-1801, Cairo was occupied by French troops.

The population of the city repeatedly rose in rebellion against the French occupiers (1798, 1800). In 1795 and again in 1804-05, there were rebellions against the Mamelukes and Turks. In the 19th century, particularly in the first half, new sections and enterprises were built, the first Egyptian printing plant was established, and educational institutions were founded. In 1882, Cairo was occupied by British troops. From 1914 to 1922, it was the administrative center of a British protectorate. After 1922 it was the capital of the Kingdom of Egypt. Cairo was the most important center of the anti-imperialist, national liberation movement in Egypt. There were uprisings in 1919 and 1921; major anti-British demonstrations and actions took place in the 1930’s, in 1946, in 1951 and early 1952, and at other times.

On July 23, 1952, a coup d’etat took place in Cairo, which marked the beginning of the revolution of national liberation in Egypt. From 1953 to 1958, Cairo was the capital of the Republic of Egypt and from 1958 to 1971, the capital of the United Arab Republic; since 1971 it has been the capital of the Arab Republic of Egypt. Since 1971, Cairo has also been the capital of the Federation of Arab Republics. Cairo is also the site of the headquarters of the League of Arab States (since 1945) and the residence of the permanent secretariat of the Afro-Asian People’s Solidarity Organization (AAPSO, 1957). N. G. K ALININ Economy. About one-quarter of the industrial production of the country is concentrated in Cairo and its suburbs. There are machine-building, metalworking, textile, chemical, food-processing (including oil presses), tobacco, cement, and printing enterprises.

Plants for the production of railroad cars and for the assembly of trucks, tractors, and television and radio equipment were built after the revolution of 1952. The socialist countries play a significant role in the creation of industrial enterprises. With Soviet help the following plants were built in the 1960’s: a forging plant, the first stages of a machine-tool building plant and a coking plant in the Cairo suburb of Helwan, and plants for the production of files, emery boards, and sandpaper. The Helwan Steel Plant has been expanding since 1968. With the help of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, bicycle and ceramics plants have been built. A cigarette factory was built with the help of the German Democratic Republic. Crafts industries have been considerably developed. There is a thermal power plant whose capacity is 643, 000 kW (1967). In addition, Cairo is a major financial and commercial center. Architecture and city planning Cairo may be clearly divided into two parts, the old and the new. The old city, which occupies the eastern and southern districts, has numerous narrow streets and two- to four-story pise and stone houses.

It contains architectural monuments from the fourth century B.C. Egyptian National Railways (ENR) - AGE (African Growing Enterprises) File - IDE-JETRO AGE (African Growing Enterprises) File Product Development Company Profile and History The first part of the railway between Alexandria and Kafer Eassa was opened in 1854, and the line was completed two years later representing the first railroad in Africa and in the Middle East. The Imbaba Bridge was constructed in 1891 to allow trains to cross the Nile near Cairo, a key step to connect Lower and Upper Egypt. The contemporary Imbaba Bridge was erected in 1924 and represents the only railway crossing of the Nile in Cairo. The El Ferdan Railway Bridge rebuilt in 2001 is the largest swing bridge in the world and crosses the Suez Canal. The Palestine Railway linked El Kantara (East) with Palestine and Lebanon. It was built in two phases during the First and Second World Wars and in 1916, it was extended to Rafah on the border with Palestine as part of campaigns against the Ottoman Empire.

The route was extended along the Mediterranean coast to link with Turkish Railways in 1940 and became a vital part of the supply route for Egypt. Egypt has a railway network of approximately 6700 km. In Country Location Egyptian National Railways (ENR), Ramsis Square, Cairo, Egypt; Phone number: 5753555 Services and Products Passenger transport, which accounted for 94 percent of the ENR’s physical activity and 67 percent of traffic revenue in FY2007, is the railway’s predominant activity. Intercity Passenger Services: Long-distance, high-quality services (in terms of comfort’ and speed) operate between Cairo and Alexandria (18 pairs of trains per day, some continuing to Marsa-Matrouh), and between Cairo, Luxor and Aswan (twelve pairs of trains). Intercity services offer First and Second class services, all air-conditioned and sleeping services on routes to Aswan. Express Services: Long-distance, lower-quality services that utilize non-air-conditioned coaches and operate at lower speeds.

They serve medium- and large-sized cities on routes that are also served by intercity services, and provide services in the Nile Delta, including from Cairo to Damietta, Cairo to Port Said, Cairo to Suez, Alexandria to Damietta, and Alexandria to Port Sai'd. Local Services: Although they cover short distances and are of low quality, local services serve an important social dimension by connecting lower-income residents of rural communities with cities and markets. Services are offered on ten routes - nine in the Nile Delta and one in Upper Egypt. Suburban Services: Suburban services are operated by the ENR in the Cairo and Alexandria areas. Special Services: ENR also operates special passenger services for the military (almost 90 percent of the services), police, and some factories. This activity is marginal, accounting for only four percent of total seat-km and total passenger revenue. Freight Transport Services: Although rail freight transport represents just six percent of ENR’s total traffic volume and current rates are very low, freight traffic provided about 18 percent o f revenues in FY2007.

The ENR mainly transports mineral resources, including iron ore, phosphate, and clay, coal and coke for the steel industry, petroleum products, and imported wheat and containerized goods across the “land-bridge” from the Red Sea in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the north. Cairo Underground: Cairo Underground is the first in Africa and the Middle East. Currently there are two working lines, LINE-1 (New El-Marg to Helwan) and LINE-2 (Qalubeya to Mounib). LINE-1 forms the backbone of the Metro network in Cairo as it passes through the most important residential and business districts of the city. The line was formed by connecting the existing railway line from Helwan in the South to the existing railway line in Marg in the North East. The total length of the line is 44 Km including 35 stations. The length of the underground section is 4.5 Km including 5 underground stations. It carries about 1.4 million passengers daily using over 46 trains. LINE-2 extends from Shoubra to El-Monib with a total length of 19 km and 21 stations.

Line-2 provides interchanges with Line 1 at Mubarak and Sadat stations. It also provides interchanges with the Egyptian Railways at Shoubra, Mubarak and Giza (Station) Stations. It carries about 0.7 million passengers daily using over 35 trains. Number of Employees 86,000 people Financial Information During the 2000-2007 period, ENR generated an accumulated deficit of EGP 6.53 billion (equivalent to US$1.18 billion), almost equivalent to its cumulated gross revenue (EGP 7.24 billion). Its operational deficit totalled EGP 3.91 billion over the same period, and interest totalled EGP 3.83 billion. ENR revenue was not able to finance needed investments in infrastructure and rolling stock, let alone repay investment loans provided by Egypt’s National Investment Bank (NIB), Egypt Central Bank, and foreign banks, which amount to a total of about EGP 12 billion. Market Share The railway sector plays a significant role in the Egyptian economy and is an essential mode of transport for low-income Egyptians.

The network, sixty percent of which is concentrated in the Nile Delta and along the Nile Valley, reaches most of the population- even relatively small population centres, which are served by minor lines and small, poor quality trains. The Egyptian rail sector differs from its regional counterparts in several ways. First, its operations are large. Total traffic (passengers and freight) in FY2007 amounted to 68 billion traffic units, which exceeded the combined traffic of railways in Algeria, Iran, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey. Second, ENR is a predominantly passenger railway, as passenger traffic accounts for more than 90 percent of ENR’s physical activity. In contrast, passenger traffic on other railways in the region average between 30 percent and 42 percent. Business Objective To restructure operations to create safer, more dynamic, responsive, and competitive rail services, while continuing to provide transport services to poor people and remote areas under Public Service Obligation (PSO) arrangements.

Business Model Railway operations became a matter of deep concern to the Government in the 1990s and early 2000s due to several issues, in particular, acute safety issues, deteriorating quality of service, and the significant impact of the sector on the Government’s budget. In order to address these challenges, the Government developed a strategy for the railway sector based on policy recommendations from the World Bank and with the assistance of an international consulting firm during 2006-2008. The Government is fully committed to a far-reaching transformation plan that will take several years to implement and will entail costly investments (about EGP19.7 billion over the FYOS-FY 16 period) to modernize ENR’s network and increase transport capacity, induce financial restructuring including the capitalization of ENR debt, and introduce a number of interrelated institutional reforms that will affect the legal and regulatory framework, financial relations with the Government based on financial compensation for PSOs, the restructuring of ENR’s organization along strategic business lines (Long-distance Passenger Services, Short-distance Passenger Services, Freight Services, and Infrastructure Services), and the private sector’s role in railway activities.

The objective of the proposed Egypt National Railways Restructuring Project (ENRRP) is to assist the Government in improving the reliability, efficiency and safety of the railways’ services through signalling and track renewal investments by the Egyptian National Railways (ENR) and the modernization of its management and operating practices in order to enhance the railways’ sector responsiveness to economic and social needs and to strengthen the financial viability of the Project Implementing Entity. The ENRRP would finance key elements of ENR’s transformation plan, with particular emphasis on investments that are critical to improving operational efficiency and safety for passengers, and increasing revenue, as well as on initiatives modernizing management practices. The proposed Project consists of three components, and the overall financing of this Project amounts to US$305 million, of which (i) US$270 million IBRD financing; and (ii) U S$35 million counterpart financing from ENR’s resources. Component 1-Signaling Modernization: The modernization of signalling along the Arab el-Ram1 to Alexandria line and a computerized Central Traffic Control system (CTC) for that section and Cairo - Banha (on the same Cairo-Alexandria line), and the supervision of those investments.

Component 2-Track Renewal: Priority track-renewal works for 200 km of track along the Cairo-Aswan line (149 km on four sections of track) and the Benha-Port Said line (5 1 km on two sections of track), and supervision of those works. Component 3-Modernization of Management and Operating Practices: Activities under this component, which is being financed by ENR, are directed toward developing and cementing changes in managerial and staff practices that reflect the operational and financial restructuring of ENR. Ownership of Business Rail infrastructure is owned by, and rail services are provided by, the Egyptian National Railways (ENR), a public entity created in 1980 and reporting to the Ministry of Transport (MOT). Benefits Offered and Relations with Government The Government fully endorsed the transformation plan proposed by the Minister of Transport in December 2006, and the Minister of Finance has immediately provided a significant initial financial support though a budgetary transfer of EGP 5 billion in 2006.

The Minister of Transport Lotfi Mansour said on 15/4/2009 at a People's Assembly session that the Egyptian railways sector will not be privatized and that the prices of railways tickets will not increase. Product Development A consortium headed by Vinci Construction Grands Projets has been signed up in 2009 by Egypt’s National Authority for Tunnels to construct the second phase of Cairo metro Line 3, due to be running by October 2013. Phase 1, the responsibility of the same consortium, is 60% complete and scheduled to commence operations in October 2011. The phase 2 civil works contract includes 7.2km of tunnel between Abbasiya and Al Ahram, and four underground stations. Vinci subsidiary Eurovia Travaux Ferroviaires is to supply and install 14km of track. Fare collection equipment, integrated supervision and communications systems will be supplied by Thales. E&M equipment for the four stations is to be designed and supplied by Alstom and SEP Colas. Alstom will supply Urbalis 200 train control, points machines and signalling equipment.

Line 3, with 29 stations, running 33km from the airport to Imbaba, is projected to carry 5 million passengers per day by 2020. In July 2009 the US Trade and Development Agency awarded a $658,323 grant to Egypt’s ministry of transport in Cairo, to support the development of a positive train control (PTC) system for Egyptian National Railways. PTC technologies and systems are expected to improve safety of operations, increase the capacity of the network-enabling additional traffic to be run over existing infrastructure-and optimise the operation, including management of trains and real-time adaptation to contingencies. The introduction of PTC in Egypt builds on the findings of a USTDA-funded study completed earlier this year for the ministry of transport. The study included the design of a national traffic management master plan and recommendations on the creation of an independent railway safety oversight and enforcement authority to monitor compliance with safe operating practices. Manual Report Cairo Travel Guide and Tourist Information - Cairo, Egypt - Ask-aladdin.com Check here Egypt shopping guide Outside the city's central area on the east bank, spanning from the northeast to the southeast, are the neighborhoods of Islamic Cairo.

These neighborhoods are known for their narrow streets, crowded markets (bazaars), and hundreds of Mosques, many dating back to the medieval period. South of the Islamic district is Old Cairo, where some of the city's oldest architectural monuments can be found. Old Cairo is the home of Cairo's Coptic Christian community, and the site of the Coptic Museum plus a number of Coptic churches. The irrigation of Cairo's desert periphery has allowed for the development of suburbs, such as Heliopolis, located to the northeast. Other modern suburbs are interspersed with recently created migrant neighborhoods that accommodate the city's growing population. Industrial areas further crowd the city, restricting its growth. An international airport serves Cairo, situated approximately 24 km (about 15 m) northeast of the city; the Ramses railway station and the bus terminal are located near downtown Cairo. Cairo is the chief commercial and industrial centre of Egypt. Local industries manufacture cotton textiles, food products, construction supplies, motor vehicles, aircraft, and chemical fertilizers. Iron and steel are produced at the south part just outside the city. Cairo is also a centre for government activities and service industries.

Because of the city's warm climate and numerous historical and cultural attractions, tourism plays an important role in its economy. Cairo receives goods shipped on the Nile at the river port, located at the northern end of the city. From Cairo, products are sent by road, railroad, and waterway to the Mediterranean ports of Alexandria and Port Said. The city is connected by train service to other major cities. Traffic congestion is a growing problem in Cairo, but it is the only city in the Middle East and Africa that has a subway. A subway system opened in the city in 1987.for the first time carrying about 2 million passengers everyday. Lately a second line has been opened, this linked the old line with the western superb in the west bank (Giza), The third line is still under construction which will connect Cairo airport to the city centre and finish in the busy suburb of Imbaba. Population In 1998 Cairo was estimated to have a population of 16 million. The people of Cairo are known as Cairenes; nearly all of them are Egyptians with small number of foreigner.

The city is an important centre of the Islamic faith, and Cairenes are predominantly Sunni Muslims; however, the city is also home to a sizable Coptic community, which traces its origins to the Christians who populated Cairo before the arrival of Islam. Cairo's population swells daily as workers flow into the city from the surrounding area, clogging roads and rail lines every morning and evening. Many Cairenes are recent arrivals from villages along the Nile. These rural migrants arrive with few skills or resources, and compound the existing problems of unemployment and scarce housing. Education And Culture The most famous educational institution in Cairo is the Al-Azhar University, the oldest in the Islamic world. The institution has grown up around the Al-Azhar Mosque, the oldest Mosque in Cairo. The Fatimid founded both the university and Mosque in 970. Al-Azhar University is an authoritative voice throughout the Islamic world, and its positions on important issues are influential in Egypt and the Arab world.

Other institutions of higher education include Cairo University (Founded in1908) and Ain Shams University (1950), which together enrols more than 100,000 students; and the American University in Cairo, founded in 1919, where the children of Egypt's elite mingle with students and faculty from abroad. Egyptian history is displayed and preserved in the city's numerous Museum collections. The Egyptian Museum (Founded in 1902) contains hundreds of thousands of artefacts, including more than 1700 pieces from the collection of Tutankhamen. The Museum of Islamic Arts (1881) contains a vast collection relating to early Islamic civilization, and the Coptic Museum (1910) traces the history of the Coptic community in Egypt. Other Cairo Museums maintain collections relating to more modern themes; these range from the El-Gawhara Palace Museum, built in 1811 in the Ottoman style, to the Mahmoud Khalil Museum, founded in 1963, which contains works by Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Peter Paul Rubens, and other European and Egyptian painters of renown.

African Railways Guide & Maps: Travel by Train in Africa Blue Train, The - Luxury rail tours throughout South Africa Botswana Railway - Daily train from Francistown to Gaborone and Lobatse, Botswana Cairo Metro - Map, photos, history, and information about the three-route metro in Cairo, Egypt Cairo Metro (NAT) - Official site of the Greater Cairo Metro Network, Egypt Sponsored Links Cameroonian Railways - Photos and information about Camrail, the national railway of Cameroon Caminho de Ferro de Benguela (CFB) - Connects the Atlantic port of Lobito, Angola with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia; site in Portuguese Casa Tramway - Tram line in Casablanca, Morocco Congolese National Railways (SNCC) - Freight and passenger service in the Democratic Republic of Congo Desert Express - Two-day rail tour in Namibia East African Railways - Photos from the East African Railways and Harbours Corporation that operated in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania until 1977 Egypt Train Travel - Schedules, photos, and travel information about the railways between Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Alexandria, Port Said, and Suez Egyptian National Railways - Official site of passenger

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ers in Africa Trans-Gabon Railway - History and operations of the 670km Transgabonais, the only railway in Gabon Tunis Metro - Map, photos, and history of the five route light rail system in the capital city of Tunisia Tunisia Railway Timetables - Timetables for the SNCFT railways of Tunisia Tunisia Train Travel - Schedules, photos, and travel information about the railways in Tunisia Tunisian Railways - Official SNCFT site for the passenger and freight railways of Tunisia Uganda Railways Corporation - Owns the railway infrastructure in Uganda, managed under concession with the Rift Valley Railways Consortium Watania - Private company offering sleeping car trains from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan, Egypt Zambia Railways (ZR) - Extends from the junction with Zimbabwe Railways at Victoria Falls to Lusaka, Kapiri Mposhi (junction with Tazara), and the Copperbelt, a total length of 1,273 km Zimbabwe National Railways - Operates passenger and freight railways on a 2760km network in Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Train Travel - Schedule, photos, and information about daily passenger service between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe Related RailServe.com Categories Haram (Cairo) | Article

 about Haram (Cairo) by The Free Dictionary Haram (Cairo) | Article about Haram (Cairo) by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Dictionary , Thesaurus , Wikipedia .

Cairo (kī`rō), Arab. Al Qahirah, city (1996 pop. 6,789,479), capital of Egypt and the Cairo governorate, NE Egypt, a port on the Nile River near the head of its delta, at the boundary of ancient Upper and Lower Egypt. The city includes two islands in the Nile, Zamalik (Gezira) and Roda (Rawdah), which are linked to the mainland by bridges. Cairo is the largest city in the Middle East and in Africa. It is Egypt's administrative center and, along with Alexandria Alexandria, Arabic Al Iskandariyah, city (1996 pop. 3,328,196), N Egypt, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is at the western extremity of the Nile River delta, situated on a narrow isthmus between the sea and Lake Mareotis (Maryut). ..... Click the link for more information. , the heart of its economy. Cairo's manufactures include textiles, food and tobacco products, chemicals, plastics, metals, and automobiles. Tourism is central to the local economy.

The first railroad in Africa (built 1855) linked Cairo with Alexandria, and today Cairo has extensive rail facilities and is also a road and air hub. Points of Interest Much of Cairo is modern, with wide streets. Its famed mosques, palaces, and city gates are found mostly in the older sections. The mosques of Amur (7th cent.), Ibn Tulun (876–79), Hasan (c.1356), and Qait Bay (1475) are especially noted for their bold design. Khedive Ismail's palace on Zamalik island is a notable 19th-century structure. The Mosque of Al Azhar (970) and adjoining buildings house Al Azhar Univ., considered the world's leading center of Qur'anic studies. Cairo also is the center of Coptic Christianity. The city is the seat of the American Univ. in Cairo, Cairo Polytechnic Institute, the Higher Institute of Finance and Commerce, the College of Fine Arts, and the Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts. The Univ. of Cairo is nearby, in Giza. Among Cairo's many museums, the Egyptian National Museum is especially noted for its holdings of ancient Egyptian art.

The museum is on Tahrir (Liberation) Square, which was the site in 2011 of massive demonstrations against President Mubarak. The Nilometer, a graduated column dating from 716 and used to measure the river's water level, is on Roda island, where tradition says the infant Moses was found in the bulrushes. History Almost directly across the Nile from Cairo was Memphis Memphis , ancient city of Egypt, capital of the Old Kingdom (c.3100–c.2258 B.C.), at the apex of the Nile delta and 12 mi (18 km) from Cairo. It was reputedly founded by Menes, the first king of united Egypt. Its god was Ptah. ..... Click the link for more information. , an ancient Egyptian capital. Babylon, a Roman fortress city, occupied what is now a SE section called Old Cairo. Cairo itself was founded in 969 by the Fatimid general Jauhar Al Rumi to replace nearby Al Qatai (established in the 9th cent. by an Abbasid governor of Egypt) as the capital of Egypt. In the 12th cent.

Saladin Saladin , Arabic Salah ad-Din, 1137?–1193, Muslim warrior and Ayyubid sultan of Egypt, the great opponent of the Crusaders, b. Mesopotamia, of Kurdish descent. ..... Click the link for more information. ended Fatimid rule and established the Ayyubite dynasty (1171–1250). To defend the city against Crusaders, Saladin erected (c.1179) the citadel, which still stands, and extended the walls of the city, parts of which remain. Cairo prospered under the rule of the Mamluks, who added many buildings of artistic merit, but the city declined after it was conquered (1517) by the Ottoman Empire. At the time of its capture (1798) by Napoleon Bonaparte's forces, the city had about 250,000 inhabitants. British and Turkish forces ousted the French in 1801, and Cairo was returned to Ottoman control.

Under Muhammad Ali (ruled 1805–49), it became the capital of a virtually independent country and grew in commercial importance; many Europeans settled in the city. During World War II, Cairo was the Allied headquarters and supply center for the Middle East and the site (1943) of the Cairo Conference Cairo Conference, Nov. 22–26, 1943, World War II meeting of U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek of China at Cairo, Egypt. ..... Click the link for more information. . The Arab League Arab League, popular name for the League of Arab States, formed in 1945 in an attempt to give political expression to the Arab nations. The original charter members were Egypt, Iraq, Jordan (then known as Transjordan), Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. ..... Click the link for more information. is headquartered in Cairo. In the late 20th cent.

the city has been plagued by poverty and overcrowding, which has forced many Cairenes to settle in the City of the Dead, a vast expanse of cemeteries to the S and E; the area is not administered or serviced by the city. Bibliography See M. Rodenbeck, Cairo: The City Victorious (1998); N. Alsayyad, Cairo: Histories of a City (2011); D. Sims, Understanding Cairo (2011). Cairo (kā`rō, kâ`rō), city (1990 pop. 4,846), seat of Alexander co., extreme S Ill., on a levee-protected tongue of land adjacent to the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers (spanned by several bridges); inc. 1857. It is a center for shipping by river, rail, and highway and the processing and distribution point for a fertile farm area. Cotton and grain are grown, and manufactures include polyurethene, lumber, and cleaning products. The city and its environs are popularly called "Little Egypt" because of the deltalike geographical similarity.

Permanent settlement began in 1837. In the Civil War the strategic location was a crowded military camp, a Union supply depot, and General Grant's headquarters during much of his Western campaign. Fort Defiance State Park, the site of a Civil War fort, offers a magnificent view of the convergence of the Ohio and Mississippi. Cairo capital of the Arab Republic of Egypt (ARE). The most important political, economic and cultural center of the country. It is situated to the south of the Nile Delta, primarily on the right bank of the Nile and on the islands of Zamalik (Gezira) and Roda. It has a tropical climate. The average temperature in January is 12°C and in July, 27°C. Annual precipitation totals approximately 34 mm. During April and May there is a hot dry wind called the khamsin. Cairo has airports, is a major junction of international communications and is the center of highway, railway, and river transport in the ARE.

It is the largest city in Africa, with more than 5 million inhabitants (1970, estimate; 678, 000 in 1907; 1.1 million in 1927; 2.1 million in 1947; 3.3 million in 1960). It accounts for about 15 percent of the ARE’s population and about 34 percent of its urban population. Administration. In administrative and territorial respects, Cairo is equivalent to a governorate (muhafaza). The city administration is headed by a governor appointed by the president of the ARE and by the People’s Council (59 members) made up of members of the municipal committee of the Arab Socialist Union (ASU) and of representatives from the district organizations of the ASU and from women’s and youth organizations. There is also the Executive Committee appointed by the prime minister from among representatives of the ministries of education, finance, internal affairs, health, and others. Branch agencies of the municipal administration (departments) handle diverse economic, social, and cultural problems, maintain law and order, see to civil defense, and so on. History.

Cairo was founded in 969 by the Fatimid military leader Jawhar (Goher) al-Sakali in the vicinity where the fortress of Babylon stood in antiquity, approximately 30 km from the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis. Jawhar called the city Misr al-Qahira, which means “Egypt the Victorious”; hence, the Arabic name of Cairo, al-Qahira. Gradually Cairo absorbed other fortress-cities built earlier in the same region by the Arabs, including Fustat, which under the Umayyads was the administrative center of Egypt, and Katai, built at the end of the ninth century under the Tulunids. From 973 to 1171, Cairo was the capital of the caliphate of the Fatimids. Under the Ayyubids (1171-1250) and the Mamelukes (1250-1517), it was a major commercial and artisan center. In 1517 it was seized by the Ottoman Turks, who plundered and destroyed the city. During the Egyptian Expedition of 1798-1801, Cairo was occupied by French troops.

The population of the city repeatedly rose in rebellion against the French occupiers (1798, 1800). In 1795 and again in 1804-05, there were rebellions against the Mamelukes and Turks. In the 19th century, particularly in the first half, new sections and enterprises were built, the first Egyptian printing plant was established, and educational institutions were founded. In 1882, Cairo was occupied by British troops. From 1914 to 1922, it was the administrative center of a British protectorate. After 1922 it was the capital of the Kingdom of Egypt. Cairo was the most important center of the anti-imperialist, national liberation movement in Egypt. There were uprisings in 1919 and 1921; major anti-British demonstrations and actions took place in the 1930’s, in 1946, in 1951 and early 1952, and at other times.

On July 23, 1952, a coup d’etat took place in Cairo, which marked the beginning of the revolution of national liberation in Egypt. From 1953 to 1958, Cairo was the capital of the Republic of Egypt and from 1958 to 1971, the capital of the United Arab Republic; since 1971 it has been the capital of the Arab Republic of Egypt. Since 1971, Cairo has also been the capital of the Federation of Arab Republics. Cairo is also the site of the headquarters of the League of Arab States (since 1945) and the residence of the permanent secretariat of the Afro-Asian People’s Solidarity Organization (AAPSO, 1957). N. G. K ALININ Economy. About one-quarter of the industrial production of the country is concentrated in Cairo and its suburbs. There are machine-building, metalworking, textile, chemical, food-processing (including oil presses), tobacco, cement, and printing enterprises.

Plants for the production of railroad cars and for the assembly of trucks, tractors, and television and radio equipment were built after the revolution of 1952. The socialist countries play a significant role in the creation of industrial enterprises. With Soviet help the following plants were built in the 1960’s: a forging plant, the first stages of a machine-tool building plant and a coking plant in the Cairo suburb of Helwan, and plants for the production of files, emery boards, and sandpaper. The Helwan Steel Plant has been expanding since 1968. With the help of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, bicycle and ceramics plants have been built. A cigarette factory was built with the help of the German Democratic Republic. Crafts industries have been considerably developed. There is a thermal power plant whose capacity is 643, 000 kW (1967). In addition, Cairo is a major financial and commercial center. Architecture and city planning Cairo may be clearly divided into two parts, the old and the new. The old city, which occupies the eastern and southern districts, has numerous narrow streets and two- to four-story pise and stone houses.

It contains architectural monuments from the fourth century B.C.

Question: The first railway line in Africa linked Cairo to which city
Answer: Alexandria